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Johannesburg zoo invites you to attend the unveiling of one of
the guns used during the Great War (1914 -1919).
June 2008
The Johannesburg
zoo will be unveiling one of the guns which were used during the
Great War. On that note, the zoo invites you to come and witness
this event. This gun which symbolises the supreme sacrifice
made
by members of the South African Heavy Artillery during the Great
War 1914 -1919 will be officially rededicated by The General of
the Gunners of South Africa Major General R C Andersen SD SM
MMM JCD on the 22 June 2008 at 10:00 am.
This is one of six
howitzers presented to the Union Government by the government of
Great Britain after the First World War and was allocated to
Johannesburg by the Union Government. (Note: The SA Gunners
Association is now tracing the other 5.)
The Town Council
discussed the placement of the gun with the SA Heavy Artillery
Brigade, and it is probable that Sir Percy Fitzpatrick was
involved. His eldest son Nugent served in France with a SA Heavy
Artillery unit and achieved rapid promotion to Major.
The selection of
the site for the gun was probably Fitzpatrick’s proposal. His
company (Rand Mines) had donated the land for the Anglo Boer War
Peace Memorial at the east end of the diagonal vista, the high
point of the area around the Hermann Eckstein Park. His youngest
brother, George Fitzpatrick, is listed in the Roll of Honour for
the Imperial Light Horse Regiment.
The Howitzer is
placed at the west end of the vista so that the memorials of the
two wars speak to each other. The steps of the kiosk were
altered “to permit the howitzer being trained along the road
that leads to the Anglo Boer War Memorial.”
The Artillery
Brigade bore the costs of creating the plinth while the Town
Council paid for the bronze plaque which records the names of
all the men of the SA Heavy Artillery Brigade who died in
1914-1918 war. Ironically Major Nugent Fitzpatrick’s is not one
of them.
During the Second
World War (according to the records of the Johannesburg Zoo –
hearsay from the Gunner’s Association on removing the gun for
restoration 2007) the gun was taken to Potchefstroom for
training a new generation of gunners and returned in 1945.
In March this year
the howitzer was removed for restoration by AJ Brooks, Past
National Chairman of the Gunner’s Association, to his workshop
Techire in Wadeville.
The relationship
between the memorials appears largely aesthetic and perhaps
incongruous in the Zoo which is a place of conservation.
Draft of the activities
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National flag would be
erected. The military troop will hold a parade at the zoo.
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Flag to
be broken before parade
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2Lts
Potgieter and Groenewald are act as escorts for Gen Andersen.
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Programme to be prepared. Gnr Hole to resolve. Items as
follows:
O
Welcome and
admin Gnr Louw
o
Troops on
parade THA
o
Dignitaries
arrive Gnr Louw
o
Gen
salute THA
o
Official
Welcome Chair, GA JHB, Gnr Hoole
o
Prayer and Scripture
reading Gnr Chalmers
o
Speech and
unveiling Gen Andersen
o
Dignitaries
leave Gnr Louw
o
Troops off
parade THA
o
Tea All
Please contact
General Frank Louw at
flouw@global.co.za, alternatively GNR
Andrew Sampson at
andrew.sampson@vodamail.co.za
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